100/26 EXECUTIVE HEARINGS BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISHERIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES SEVENTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS 1944HE A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING INVESTIGATION DIY. 60897 APRIL 4, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, MAY 5, AND JUNE 26, 1944 Printed for the use of the Committee on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries UNITED STATES WASHINGTON: 1944 COMMITTEE ON THE MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES SCHUYLER OTIS BLAND, Virginia, Chairman ROBERT RAMSPECK, Georgia HERBERT C. BONNER, North Carolina RICHARD J. WELCH, California JOSEPH J. O'BRIEN, New York FRED BRADLEY, Michigan GORDON CANFIELD, New Jersey LAWRENCE H. SMITH, Wisconsin ALVIN F. WEICHEL, Ohio CHRISTIAN A. HERTER, Massachusetts RALPH E. CHURCH, Illinois ANTHONY J. DIMOND, Alaska J. R. FARRINGTON, Hawaii ELSIE N. KEEFER, Clerk Mr. MANSFIELD Mr. JACKSON II SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISHERIES J. HARDIN PETERSON, Chairman Mr. O'BRIEN Mr. BRADLEY Mr. WEICHEL Mr. HERTER IRVING G. MCCANN, special assistant to the chairman of the full committee CONTENTS Triggs, Charles W., head, Fish Section, Office of Price Administra- tion. Hart, Henry M., Jr., associate general counsel for Price, Office of Price 8, 23, 225 Jacobson, Jerome J., chief counsel, Beef, Small Meats, and Fish Sec- Newton, Edward W., operator, Finest Filleting Co., New Bedfrod, Eldridge, William D., L. S. Eldridge & Son, New Bedford, Mass. Wise, Henry, attorney, Atlantic Fishermen's Union.. Frampton, Hugh, attorney, Washington... Stocking, Dr. Collis, chairman, Essential Activities Committee, War Carriere, Charles M., Southern Shellfish Co., New Orleans, La.. Radcliffe, Dr. Lewis, Sponge Institute of America, Washington, D. C. PRICE CEILINGS ON FISHERIES TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 1944 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON THE MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES, Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met at 10 a. m., the Honorable J. Hardin Peterson (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Representatives Peterson (chairman of the subcommittee) and Bland (chairman of the full committee). Also present: Irving G. McCann, special assistant to the chairman of the Committee on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries. Mr. PETERSON. The committee will come to order. I have a short statement here which I will place in the record and which will be available to the press: Pursuant to House Resolution 281 of the Seventy-seventh Congress, and to House Resolution 52 of the Seventy-eighth Congress, Judge Bland, chairman of the Committee on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries of the House of Representatives, has designated me as chairman of the Subcommittee to Investigate Fisheries. The mandate of Congress is couched in general terms and directs me (a) To conduct through studies an investigation of the progress of the national defense program insofar as it relates to matters coming within the jurisdiction of said committee * * * or any other agency under the jurisdiction of said committee, with a view to determining whether such program is being carried forward efficiently, expeditiously, and economically; (b) to make such inquiry as said Committee on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries may consider important or pertinent to the merchant marine or fisheries of the United States, or any of the Territories thereof, or to any matter coming within the jurisdiction of said committee. Obviously these directives require that this subcommittee should act in the public interest, and that it should seek primarily, through its investigation, to forward the war effort by encouraging the fisheries industry to produce the maximum of seafoods to feed our citizens, ou allies, and the distressed or starving peoples who are now or who ma become dependent upon our charity. The demands for increased production, which have been made by Government agencies upon the fisheries industry, have aroused a storm of protest against certain measures and policies of the Government which are alleged to limit the production of all kinds of seafoods. These protests have come from every class of persons engaged in this business. For example, there is unanimity of opinion that the manpower shortage is a serious threat to even normal fish production, and that an appreciation of the importance of the fisheries industry and |